Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Chevrolet Corvette owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was concerned about excessive valve train noise and after reading several Corvette forum threads about improperly machined heads by GM's supplier linamar, and that numerous vehicles have had valves drop and ruin the engines, I took my car with 7800 miles on it to a Corvette specialty shop ( katech) to have my valve guide clearance tested. I had (5) intake valve guides outside of service specifications, (4) exhaust valve guides outside of service specifications, and a combination of (3) other intake and exhaust valve guides at or near the maximum outside of service specifications. The car is being repaired with proper re-machining of the heads to make the valve guides concentric, new intake and exhaust valve guides installed, as well as new seals, valves, springs, etc. …
Engine had excessive noise. After reading several Corvette complaints about improperly machined heads by general motor's supplier linamar, and that numerous vehicles have had valves drop and catastrophic engine failure, I had my car with checked at a specialty shop. I had several valve guides outside of service specifications. The car is being repaired with proper re-machining of the heads to make the valve guides concentric, new intake and exhaust valve guides installed, as well as new seals, valves, springs, etc. 88% of the Corvette forum members who have had their cylinder heads tested for excessive valve guide wear, were out of service specifications. Source: http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...-registry.html GM needs to issue a recall on this issue. There have been numerous engine failures as a result of a dropped valve into a cylinder. …
GM denies any sort of wide spread issue with respect to the manufacturing/assembly of the cylinder heads for the ls7 engine. There have been numerous catastrophic engine failures as a result of a broken valve head dropping into the cylinder and subsequently blowing a hole through the motor, causing fluids to leak all over the road, and complete loss of control of the vehicle. The symptoms are premature valve guide wear, which eventually become so worn that the valve closes on the wrong angle to the seat, and off breaks the valve head. The issue appears to be poor valve guide to valve seat concentricity, which leads to premature valve guide wear. My 2009 z06 Corvette at only 15,000 street driven miles was inspected by a reputable third party repair facility, and discovered that 14/16 valve guides were beyond GM's service limit, and the remaining 2/16 were right at the limit. …
Regarding the cylinder heads, I am one of hundreds that experienced intake and exhaust valves that were out of specification due to inadequate cylinder head design and valve guides. As a result, I needed to have my heads replaced with rebuilt heads and new valve guides. The uploaded document highlights the measurements on the valves as being out of specification after they were tested upon removal from my vehicle. On an engine with only 11,000 miles at the time, this is alarming. Hundreds others have experienced the same defect. This is a safety issue as when a valve drops, it falls into the engine having the effect of potentially immediately seizing it up which would then cause the car to lock the rear wheels and lose control
The engine exhaust valve guides were outside of GM specifications and both cylinder heads were replaced under warranty because of this. This defect can cause the head of a valve to snap off and destroy the engine. The engine will stop working immediately, causing the power steering and power brakes systems to fail. The valve failure can cause a oil spill onto the road if the engine is destroyed. There have been numerous engine failures as a result of a dropped valve into a cylinder which can cause accidents and fires. GM is very aware of this issue, but refuses to do anything about this huge safety risk to drivers, passengers, and nearby vehicles if the engine fails going down the road.
I had a valve drop and threw a rod thru my engine traveling at highway speeds on a busy highway. I lost engine power, power steering, and spilled oil and other chemicals onto the roadway. A thick cloud of smoke billowed from underneath and out the back of the car making it unsafe for cars traveling behind me. The dealer who has since inspected my car has stated it is a known issue that the "lifters are weak". After quite a bit of reading, it appears many other owners of the same car have experienced a multitude of issues with valves, lifters, heads, etc. GM is aware of faulty parts but I cannot find any notice of recalls. Make/model: 2009 Corvette z06; engine: ls7.
My son's car blew up while traveling on the freeway almost causing an accident. He will file a separate complaint. There is a systemic problem with the z06 and the 427 engine so I had my heads checked as a preventative measure and they were far enough out of spec that self destruction was imminent. The heads were checked and replaced by a Chevrolet dealer. There are hundreds of examples of this problem on the Corvette forum and it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured. I sincerely hope you will look into this problem in time to perhaps save someone's life.
The ls7 engine is known to have bad 2 piece exhaust valves that come apart and fall into the cylinder resulting in a catastrophic engine failure that requires an entire new engine. This happened to me this past March 2015. GM needs to issue a recall on this issue, there have been numerous engine failures as a result of a dropped valve into a cylinder which can cause accidents and fires. GM is very aware of this issue, but refuses to do anything about this huge safety risk to drivers, passengers, and nearby vehicles if the engine fails going down the road.
I experienced an engine failure. This resulted in a sudden and complete loss of power at an unexpected time. This occurred during a high performance driver education event at auto club speedway in fontana, ca. There was no warning before the moment the engine failed. The cause of the failure was the head of one of the exhaust valves separated from the valve stem and fell into the cylinder, destroying the cylinder head, piston and cylinder wall. The engine model in my 2009 Corvette is the ls7. A google search on 'ls7 dropped valves' will fill many pages.
Although my car is a 2009 it only has 300 miles on it. The zo6 model which has the "ls7 engine has a known valve issue with both intake and exhaust being out of spec and wearing rapidly. I had a "wiggle test" done on all my valves. More than half of the 16 valves were out of spec. If the issue is not correct a valve will drop and a new engine will be required.
Engine complaints in other Corvette years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette, 17% of the model year's 151 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Corvette engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Corvette engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.